Salman Khan in hot water after ‘raped woman’ joke

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has sparked controversy in India by saying his heavy training schedule for an upcoming film left him feeling “like a raped woman”.

Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie Sultan, which tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback.

“When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight,” 50-year-old Khan said in an interview with local news site Spotboye.com published on Monday.

In the same interview, Khan said he had been able to quit every “vice” except women, saying that he had given up cigarettes, coffee and alcohol but not female company.

“There’s nothing left to quit anymore,” he told the site.

Social media users slammed the actor’s comments.

“If you are a Salman Khan fan, it’s good, but if you support his pathetic statement, you are nothing but a disgusting creature,” wrote Twitter user @gautamverma23.

Shaina N.C., a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra state, tweeted: “Rape is an exercise of power to destruct a woman’s self esteem, (from what) I (know) of @BeingSalmanKhan he respects #women so he must apologise.”

Khan’s personal life has also been dogged by controversy.

Meanwhile, The National Commission for Women (NCW) slammed actor Salman Khan for a ‘rape’ comment he purportedly made during a group interaction with journalists.

Lalitha Kumaramangalam, the chief of NCW, told news agency ANI that the commission has sent him a letter asking why he made the remark.

This is very sad. Just because he is Salman Khan doesnt mean he will make such a statement: Lalitha Kumaramangalam (NCW Chief)